Tool for rupturing fill caps



y 1960 J. J. BYRNES 2,938,265

TOOL FOR RUPTURING FILL CAPS Filed June 21, 1956 I sum 0 INVENTOR.

JOHN J. BYRNES United States Patent TOOL FOR RUPTURING FILL CAPS John J.Byrnes, Newark, N.J., assignor to H. De Lancey Gregory, Newark, NJ.

Filed June 21, 1956, Ser. No. 592,910

2 Claims. (Cl. 30-91) My invention relates to a tool for rupturing fillcaps.

In an underground installation of a fuel oil tank such, for example, asis used for supplying domestic or other oil burners, there is a fillpipe coupled at one end thereof to the tank. The fill pipe generallyextends vertically upward from the tank to the surface above which maybe a concrete or other finished surface over which pedestrians andtrafiic pass. The top end of the fill pipe is open for the entrance offuel oil in filling the tank and is externally threaded for applicationthereto of an element identified as a fill cap. The conventional fillcap is of cast iron and is internally threaded for screwing down on andabout the top or terminal end of the fill pipe and for receiving anexternally threaded, brass lug or stopper. The latter closes the fillpipe and is unscrewed and removed from the fill cap only when the tankis to be replenished with fuel oil. After being applied to the open orterminal end of the fill pipe and screwed down tightly on the same, thefill cap is a permanent part of the installation and for all intents andpurposes is integral with the threaded pipe end. In the course of timethe brass stopper is unscrewed numerous times from the cast iron fillcap and is later put back and screwed down tight again, after a newsupply of fuel oil has been poured down the fill pipe. The repeatedunscrewing of and the subsequent screwing up tightly on the brassstopper has, in the past, partially stripped or otherwise damaged thecast iron threads of the fill cap to an extent making it necessary toremove the old fill cap and replace it with a new one. This trouble withthe cast iron threads is enhanced by the fact that in most cases theassociated brass stopper and cast iron fill cap are exposed to adverseweather conditions which in time cause some corrosion of the cast ironthreads. It then becomes necessary to apply considerablecounter-clockwise torque to the brass stopper in loosening andunscrewing the same from the cast iron fill cap. This can cause at leastsome slight distortion of one or more of the cast iron threads so thatthere is some difiiculty in later screwing in the stopper. Thus, thestopper is forced, and the condition becomes progressively worse and somuch so that in time the cast iron fill cap must be replaced.

Over the years, between the external, cast iron threads on the top orterminal end of the fill pipe and the internal, cast iron threads of thefill cap, there is suflicient corrosion to cause the fill caps, ineffect, to become frozen to the pipe end. Therefore, in wrenching theold fill cap counterclockwise to break it loose and then tounscrew andremove it from the pipe end, frequently requires application of aconsiderable amount of counterclockwise torque to the fill cap, and somuch so that one or more of the external cast iron threads on the fillpipe can be stripped or distorted. The excessive torque applied to thefill cap is also applied to each horizontal section of the fill pipefrom its top, externallythreaded end down to its bottom end which iscoupled to the tank. This can and has caused a rupture or other damageat the bottom coupling, and so much so that 2,938,265 Patented May 31,1960 there is either a complete break at this underground point or atleast a sufficient crack or rupture to permit subsequent seepage ofwater into the tank. This condition requires excavation to expose theentire length of the fill pipe for replacement of the same and for anyother repair work which might be found to be necessary.

In some installations where there is suflicient clearance at the fillcap, the concrete or other material immediately about the latter isremoved and a heavy wrench, stone or other equivalent object is wedgedand packed in, firmly against one side of the old fill cap. A sledgehammer or other heavy tool is then used to strike the other side of thefill cap until the latter is broken or cracked off. This method cancause damage in one or both of two ways, as follows: The externalthreads on the top end of the fill pipe can be distorted. A crack orrupture can occur at the bottom coupling or union to permit subsequentseepage of water into the tank.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of my invention to provide atool for rupturing orcracking a fill cap out of its tight, threadedengagement with the externally-threaded end of a fill pipe, and to dothis without necessitating any rotary movement whatsoever of the fillcap with respect to the threaded pipe end, or any hammering on the fillcap, as heretofore.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention an embodiment thereof isshown in the drawings, wherein I Fig. l is an elevational view of thetool herein shown inserted into a fill cap and in position to rupture orcrack the latter oh the threaded end of a fill pipe, the fill cap andfill pipe being shown in longitudinal section;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the tool shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 5 are detail, elevational views respectively, of the handlepart and the wedge part of the tool shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 5;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 in Fig. 1, one of the parts beingshown in elevation;

Figs. 7 and 8 are sections taken, respectively, on lines 7-7 and 8-8 inFig. 3;

Fig. 9 is an elevational view of the tool, looking toward the right inFig. l; and

Fig. 10 is an elevational view, partly broken away, of an auxiliarypart.

The tool comprises a handle part 10 having a fiat face 11 at the bottomend thereof; a wedge part 14 having a fiat face 15 at an end thereof anda substantially straight knife edge 16 at its other end; and a pin,bolt, rivet or equivalent means 17 extending through similar andregistering openings 18 and 19 in the handle and wedge parts at therespective fiat faces 11 and 15 of these parts. a In the embodimentshown, bolt 17 at one end thereof has a head 20 and is threaded at itsother end to receive a nut 21. The nut 21 is tightened sufficiently andlocked in any suitable manner to hold parts 10 and 14 together withtheir respective fiat faces 11 and 15 engaging, as more clearly shown inFig. 6.

Bolt 17 connects parts 10 and 14 for rotary movement relatively withrespect to each other about the axis of bolt 17, which axis isperpendicular to the flat faces 11 and 15.

Handle part 10 at its bottom end is provided with a knife edge 22disposed on the side of the bolt axis opposite to that on which thestraight, knife edge 16 is disposed. Knife 22 is on an are orcircumference about a center indicated at 22', this center beingeccentric with are complementary with respect to each other and engage,as shown in Fig. 1, to hold wedge part 14 at an angle of ninety degreesto the longitudinal axis of handle part when the latter is heldvertically. Knife edge 16 is then disposed vertically to permitinsertion of wedge part .14 and the associated end of handle part 10into the fill cap 25., as shown in Fig. 1.

Fill cap 25 is of a conventional construction. It is of cast iron, andis internally threaded at the bottom for screwing onto the top,externally-threaded end of a fill pipe 26.

From the top edge of surface 24, the surface 27 in line with edge 16slopes upwardly at an angle of fortyfive degrees, as shown in Figs. 1and 5. This permits counterclockwise rotation of handle part 10 throughabout forty-five degrees, .from the vertical position shown in Fig. 1.With handle part 10 vertically disposed, between any two substantiallyopposite points of the complementary knife edges 16 and 22 the distanceis slightly less than the inside diameter of fill cap 25. As handle part10 is rotated counterclockwise, the distance between two substantiallyopposite points on the knife edges 16 and 22 increases progressively andfinally to an extent whereat such distance is sufficiently greater thanthe inside diameter of fill cap 25 to rupture or crack the latter out ofits tight, threaded engagement with the externallythreaded end of fillpipe '26.

For the purpose of insuring that the "tool is inserted the properdistance into fill cap 25, handle portion 10 is provided with a shoulder28 which engages the fill cap and thus supports the tool, as shown inFig. l, with its knife edges 16 and 22 placed for the most effectiveaction, i.e., with these edges, respectively, in position to cut intoand press outwardly on the fill cap at diametrically opposite points ofthe latter. In other words, it will be seen that the surface portions orknife edges 16 and 22 are so disposed that during rupturing operation ofthe tool there is always the condition wherein at least one point ofeither one of the surface portions or 'knife edges 16 and 22 is, with atleast one point of the other of such surface portions or edges, in aplane through and parallel to the axis 17'. With the leverage providedby handle part 10 and the sharp and disposition of knife edge 22 asdisclosed, there is ample pressure to crack fill cap 25 or actuallysplit the latter in two. If more leverage is required an extension 29 isplaced on handle part 10 and fixed with respect thereto by a pin or bolt(not shown) inserted through the respective holes 30 and 31 through thetwo parts.

In addition to all the above, other disadvantages of theexternally-threaded pipe end 26 and the fill cap 25 internally threadedat its lower end for screwing onto the former, are explained in myapplication Serial No. 591,978, filed June 18, 1956.

Important aspects of my invention as embodied in the novel constructiondisclosed and claimed herein and adapted specifically and exclusivelyfor rupturing fill caps identified and described above, residue, first,in the provision of a tool heretofore non-existent and which, inoperation, ruptures, breaks, or cracks a fill cap into at least twoseparable parts which then fall or drop out of threaded engagement withthe externally-threaded fuelintake end of a fill pipe without havingcaused any stripping or other distortion of the outside threads of thefill pipe and, also, without having caused any damage whatsoever to theinstallation of which the fill pipe is a part; and, second, in theprovision of such a tool comprising the wedge part 14 and the handlepart 10 pivotally connected, the shape or characteristics of these partsand their coordination and relation with respect to each other beingsuch that upon a single and continuing rotary movement of the handlepart 10 relatively with respect to the wedge part 14 and in one and thesame direction about an axis such as that-identified by the referencecharacter 17', the fill cap 25 is ruptured, cracked, or split into atleast two separable parts. This manner or principle of operation, i.e.,the actual rupturing or cracking of a fill cap into at least twoseparable parts, is entirely distinct from the cutting or shearingaction, can-opener fashion, of tools proposed heretofore but adapted andintended for entirely different purposes such as the cutting of sheetmetal fines or tubes out of boilers. An ex ample of such a tool as thelatter for cutting through material such as tube steel of approximatelyone-eighth inch gauge, is disclosed in Patent No. 1,173,953 issuedFebruary 29, 1916 to Frederick A. Grier, Jr.

It will be understood that various modifications within the conceptionof those skilled in the art are possible without departing from thespirit of my invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a tool of the character described for rupturing a fill cap, ahandle part, a wedge part, means pivotally connecting one end of saidwedge part to an end of said handle part thereby connecting said partsfor rotary movement relatively with respect to each other about an axis,said wedge part at its other and free end having a substantiallystraight edge disposed on one side of said axis and in a planesubstantially perpendicular to said axis, said handle part at said endthereof being provided with an edge disposed on the opposite side ofsaid axis and on an are about a point eccentric with respect to saidaxis and substantially in said plane, said edges when said parts are ata given angle with respect to each other being disposed so that betweenany two substantially opposite points of said edges the distance issutficiently less than the inside diameter of said cap to permitinsertion of said wedge part and the associated end of said handle partinto said cap and that upon said handle part being moved to change saidangle substantially the distance between two substantially oppositepoints of said edges increases progressively during such change of saidangle and finally to an extent whereat said distance is sufiicientlygreater than said diameter to cause rupturing of said cap.

2. In a tool of the character described for rupturing a fill cap, ahandle part having a fiat face at an end thereof, a wedge part having aflat face at an end thereof and a substantially straight edge at itsother end, means extending through said parts at said fiat faces thereofand holding said parts together with said faces engaging and connectingsaid parts for rotary movement relatively with respect to each otherabout an axis perpendicular to said faces, said handle part at said endthereof being provided with an edge disposed on the side of said axisopposite to that on which said straight edge is disposed, said edge onsaid handle part being on an arc eccentric with respect to said axis andsubstantially in a plane through said straight edge and perpendicular tosaid axis, said parts being provided with surfaces engageable with eachother and complementary with respect to each other in the sense thatupon engagement of said surfaces with each other said relative rotarymovement is prevented in one direction when said straight edge isdisposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said handlepart.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,173,953 Grier Feb. 29, 1916

